Posted: Fri, Jan 9, 2004, 11:08 AM ET (1608 GMT)
The air pressure on the International Space Station is again decreasing slightly after appearing to level off, NASA station managers reported Thursday. The Russian media had reported early Thursday that the air pressure on the station, which has been decreasing very slowly since late December, had appeared to level off. However, a NASA official told Reuters that while the air pressure appeared to stabilize on Wednesday, measurements Thursday again showed a slight decrease, suggesting that the Wednesday measurement may have been spurious. ISS cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri is scheduled to remove filters on a carbon dioxide removal unit on the station on Friday to see if faulty seals could explain the leak. While the decline in air pressure is small enough not to pose any hazard to the crew, it is approaching the level below which optimal operation of some equipment in the US lab module is not possible.

Related Links:

•  Reuters article
•  Interfax article